Machine for removing seeds from raisins



UNITED STATES PATElEIQEEggs;

HARVEY LOGKE, OF SOUTH BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS:

MACHINE FOR REMOVING SEEDS FROM RAISINS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51.201, dated November 28, 1865.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY LOCKE, of South Boston, in the countyof Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Removing Seeds from Raisins or various other Fruits and l do hereby declare the saine to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a top view, Fig. 2 a side elevation, Fig. 3 a front view, Fig. 4 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 a rear elevation, of it.

In the drawings, A denotes the supporting Iframe or stand of the machine, it being so formed as to be capable of being clamped by a screw, B, to the edge of a table or bench. This stand supports a grate, G, composed of a square frame, a, and sundry bars, b b e c, arranged at right angles to each other, in manner as shown in the drawings. The said frame also has a journal or shaft, d, extending from it some distance in rear of the grate and parallel to it, the said journal serving to support a cam, D, which is so applied to it as to be capable of freely turning on it, and has two cam-grooves, e j', made within its inner face.

In rear of the grate C is a .compressor or compressing-jaw, E, whose foot is hinged to the stand A, as shown at g. This compressor is perforated with numerous holes to receive a series ofpins h, projecting from an arm, i, which is also hin ged to the stand A, such arm and pins composing what I term the seedexpeller7 F. The several pins are arranged in clusters and so that such clusters may pass into and through the interstices of the grate. Studs projecting from the compressing-jaw E and the seed-expeller E enter the two cam-grooves A retainer or board, G, hinged to the upper part of the standA, has a series of prongs or iingers which pass through the grate-openings, and serve to support a raisin when first dropped into the machine. A projection, o, from the said retainer rests against the periphhery of the cam or cam-wheel D, and is operated by the circular are ik l, the operation being such as to cause the retainer to move out of and somewhat beyond the grate, and there remain until after the expulsion of the seeds from a fruit may have been eected and such fruit and seed been removed from the machine,

which having been accomplished, the retainer, by its own gravity, will drop back to place.

Two Scrapers, H I, project from the wheel or cani D, in manner as shown in the drawings. These Scrapers are so arranged that (hiring each revolution of the wheel D one of them shallpass across the outer face of the grate and the otherpass against its inner face or between the latter and the compressing-jaw E. The first of these Scrapers is the secddischarger, its office being to clear or discharge the seeds from the grate and the points of the pins h. The duty of the second of such Scrapers-viz., that marked I-is to clear the remainder of the fruit from the machine.

A crank or handle,K, extends from the outer face of the Wheel D. By applying his hand to this crank with sufficient force, a person may revolve the cain-wheel D, and thereby putin action the several parts of the machine in the order required to effect the stoiiiiig or seeding of a raisin or other fruit after it may have been dropped between the grate O and the compressing-jaw E and upon the prongs of the retainer G.

The action of the machine may be thus dcscribed: Araisin havin gbeen dropped between the grate and the conipressing-jaw'and upon the retainer, while the cani-wheel D is in revolution, will be kept from falling out of the machine while the saidjaw isin the act of being moved up against the same and forces it against the grate. This having taken place, the eXpeller will be advanced so as to cause its pins to pass through the fruit and against the seeds therein, and expel the seeds from the fruit and through the openings of the grate. Next the seed-cleaning scraper H passes across the grate and separates the seeds therefrom, after which the compressing-jaw recedes, and the other scraper passes down between it and the grate and removes the stoned fruit from the machine.

Aninclined spring-blade, L, arranged below and in advance of the grate, serves to remove from the seed-clearer such seeds as may adhere to it while it may be in the act of passing between such spring-blade and the grate.

A hopper maybe applied to the stand A so as to hold the raisins and discharge them at intervals into the machine, such hopper being provided with a suitable means of effecting such discharge. I contemplate applying a fly,l

Wheel on the cam-plate D, so as to enable it to operate with a steady motion.

What- I claim as my invention in the abovedescribed machine is as follows, viz:

1. The combination as Well as the arrangement of the grate C, the compressing-jaw E, and the said expeller F, the same being,` provided With mechanism to operate them, substantially as specified.

2. The combination as well as the arrangement of the retainer or board G and its operative lmechanism with the grate C, the compressing-jaw E, and the expeller F.

3. The combination as Well as the arrange- HARVEY LOCKE.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

